Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 334269
TITLE OF THE INVENTI~N
APPARATUS FOR RAISING SMALL ANIMALS
BACKGRC~UND OF THE INVENTI~N
~he pre~ent invention relates to an apparatu~ for
raising small animals as u~ed in experiments, and more
particularly to a rack device for mounting cages for
confining ~mall animal~.
- A conventional rack device for rai~ing small animal~
has disadvantages as de~cribed hereinafter.
In prior arts, a frame for the rack device comprise~ -
po~t~ at four corner~, lateral bars ~ecured between
corresponding po~t~, and longitudinal beam~ secured to the
posts and bar~, forming racks. Cage-q are ~uqpended from
lS the longitudinal beam~q. In ~uch a rack device, post~ are
provided at longitudinal both end.~, which place~ obqtacle~
in the way of acce~s to cages, handling of cage~, particu-
larly ~etting and removing of cages.
A belt conveyer i~ provided on each longitudinal beam
as a rack plate, in order to remove remain~ of foods and
excrement which drop from upper cages. The conveyer i~
di~po~ed ~uch that the belt ~lide~ on the ~urface of the
rack plate. However, the ~urface of the rack plate is
made of a plurality of members which are welded with each
other. Accordingly, many manufacturing steps are required
to form the surface. In addition, the irregular surface
causes increa~e of friction to the belt.
Further, it is difficult to detach and attach the
rack plate and the belt conveyer, since the rack plate i~
1 334269
secured to the lateral bars secured to opposite posts.
The belt conveyor is driven by a motor through a chain
driving mechanism. The chain driving mechanism is
complicated in construction and occupies a large space.
Generally, the motor is provided in a position higher than
the uppermost rack plate. Accordingly, the height of the
motor mounting portion of the apparatus is higher than the
other portions, which renders the installation of a feeding
system on the top of the apparatus difficult.
Further, the belt of the conveyor is washed at an end
of the apparatus. However, in the conventional apparatus,
the belt is not sufficiently cleaned.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus for
raising small animals which may eliminate the above
described disadvantages of the prior art.
According to the present invention, there is provided
an apparatus for raising small animals comprising end frame
housing disposed at longitudinally opposite ends of said
apparatus;
a plurality of stands disposed at longitudinally
spaced intermediate positions between said end frame
houslngs;
a post mounted upon each one of said plurality of said
stands at a central portion thereof with respect to the
lateral direction of said apparatus;
-- 2
~ ,. ....
1 334269
a plurality of vertically spaced brackets secured to
each one of said plurality of said posts at vertically
spaced positions thereof so as to project in laterally
opposite directions with respect to said each one of said
plurality of said posts and thereby define a plurality of
longitudinally extending, vertically spaced rows of
brackets;
rack members longitudinally disposed between said end
frame housings and secured to said plurality of vertica~lly
spaced brackets so as to form a plurality of vertically
spaced racks;
cages, for housing said small animals, mounted upon
said vertically spaced racks so as to form a plurality of
longitudinally extending, vertically spaced rows of said
cages;
a plurality of vertically spaced conveyor belts
respectively provided below each one of said longitudinally
extending, vertically spaced rows of said cages for
receiving bodily discharge and food remains from said small
animals;
a plurality of vertically spaced means disposed within
one of said end frame housings for respectively driving
each one of said conveyer belts;
a plurality of vertically spaced means disposed within
said one of said end frame housings for respectively
cleaning each one of said conveyor belts with respect to
said bodily discharge and food remains received thereon;
-- 3
,, .. ~,"
and 1 3 3 4 2 6 9
trough collection means defined within a bottom
portion of said one of said end frame housings and disposed
below the lowermost one of said plurality of vertically
spaced conveyor belts for collecting said bodily discharge
and food remains removed from said plurality of conveyor
belts by said cleaning means.
In one aspect of the present invention, each rack
member spans cantilevers, and is formed by bending a steel
plate to form a bottom, sides upwardly bent at laterally
opposite ends of the bottom, and a pair of overhung slides
on the sides, with the conveyor belt being arranged to
slide on the slides and bottom. The rack member is
detachably mounted on the cantilevers. The apparatus has a
belt drive motor which is provided in one of the pulleys so
as to drive the pulley. The cleaning means has a nozzle
provided to spray-liquid cleaner on the belt, and the
nozzle has a spray-projection plane of rectangular shape.
These and other features of the present invention will
become more apparent from the following detailed
description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an
apparatus according to the present invention, in which a
part of the apparatus is cut away;
Fig. 2 is a side view of a main frame;
Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view showing a part of Fig.
2, in section;
- 3a -
,~,...
1 33426~
Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view showing an engaging
portion of a cantilevered bracket and rack members:
Fig. 5 is a front view of the apparatus, in which
some parts are removed:
S Fig. 6 is a plan view of the apparatu~ of Fig. 5: and
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a cleaning nozzle
and a plane projection when the nozzle injects a cleaner.
DETAILEO DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRE~ EMBODIMENT
Referring to Fig. 2, a ~tandl having a gantrylike-
~hape has a pair of legs la, la and a lateral base bar lb
disposed between leg~ la, la. A po~t 2 is vertically mounted
on the ba~e bar lb at the center thereof. The stand 1 and
the post 2 con~titute a main frame MF. Reference numeral
lc designates an adju~ter for adjusting the height of the
main frame MF.
The apparatu~ shown in Fig. 1 of the present invention
consists of three main frames MF which are equidistantly
di~po~ed in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of end
frame~ EF1 and EF2. However, the number of main frame~
can be appropriately selected in accordance with the length
of the appar~tu~.
Referring to Fig~. 5 and 6, the end frame EF1 (EF2)
comprises a pair of po~ts 3a, 3a provided corre~ponding
z5 to leg~ la, la of the main frame MF, a center post 3b
dispo~ed between the po~t~ 3a, 3a, and corresponding to
the po~t 2 of the main frame MF, and a pair of po~ts 3c, 3c
provided for corre~ponding to the po~ts 3a, 3a. A ~ide
1 334269
panel 3d i~ provided between each pair of po~t~ 3a and 3c.
A panel 3e i~ provided between postY 3c, 3c.
Rack member~ 4 mounted on the post 2 at oppo~ite ~ide~
thereof will be described hereinafter.
Referring to Fig. 3, each rack member 4 i~ made of
~teel plate having a longitudinally elongated rectangular
~hape and arranged to span between oppo~ite bracket~ 5
~ecured to oppo~ite po~t~ 2. The rack member 4 has a bottom
plate 4a, a pair of ~ide plate~ 4b, 4b upwardly bent at an
angle of 90 degree~ at the lateral oppo~ite end~ of the
bottom plate 4a, and a pair of overhung ~lide portion~
4c, 4c inwardly bent at upper portion~ of the ~ide plate~
4b, 4b, each forming a downwardly ~lanted ~lide for a
belt 8 of the upper ~lde, which will be de~cribed hereinafter.
The bottom plate 4a ha~ a plurality of projection~ 4d
dotted thereon, each projectionhaving a~pherical top for
receiving the belt 8 of the lower ~ide. A plurality of
pipe~ 4e for ~upporting the upper belt are ~ecured between
the ~ide plate~ 4b, 4b. Each pipe 4e i~ detachably attached
20 to the ~ide plate by hook~ each having a C-~haped ~ection,
the opening of which i~ opened again~t the travelling
direction of the belt 8 a~ ~hown in Fig. 5. A pair of
engaging member~ 4f having an inverted channel-~haped
~ection i~ ~ecured the under~ide of the bottom plate 4a
at oppo~ite end portion~ of the rack member 4 in the
longitudinal direction for engaging the rack member 4
with the bracket~ 5 of the main frame MF. A pair of
oppo~ite rail~ 4g, each having a C-~haped ~ection, are
_ 5
1 33426q
provided under the bottom plate 4a for attaching a cage C
to the rack member 4. A plurality of pair~ of rail~ 4g
are di~po~ed at a pitch of the width of the cage C along
the longitudinal direction of the rack member 4.
In order to mount the rack member 4 on the main frame
MF, a plurality of cantilevered bracket~ 5 are ~ecured to
the po~t 2 of the main frame MF. Each bracket 5 i~ laterally
projected from the po~t 2 in the oppo~ite direction.
Each cantilevered bracket 5 compri~e~ a pair of beam member~
each having an L-~haped section. Two beam member~ are
~ymmetrically dispo~ed and ~ecured to both ~ides of the
po~t 2 ~o as to form an opening at an upper portion of the
cantilevered bracket 5. A lateral beam 51 having a U-~haped
~ection i~ ~ecured to the po~t~ 3a, 3a of the end frame
EF1 (EF2). Accordingly, by engaging engaging members 4f
of the rack member 4 with oppo~ite brackets 5 or with the
bracket 5 and the lateral beam 51, the rack member~ 4 are
detachably mounted between the main frame~ MF, and between
the main frame MF and the end frame EF1 (EF2).
A~ de~cribed above, each rack member 4 ha~ a length
approximately equal to a span between po~tY 2 of adjacent
main frame~ MF. Thu~, the longitudinal end~ of the rack
member 4 are po~itioned on the cantilevered bracket 5 of
the main frame MF or one end of the rack member 4 i~
located on the beam S1 of the end frame EF1. Further,
adjacent rack member 4 are adapted to be jointed on the
cantilever 5. Two rack member~ 4 are mounted on laterally
oppo~ite cantilever~ 5 of the po~t 2.
1 33426q
A pulley motor 6 having a pair of cylindrical pulley~
i~ mounted on the ~ide panel~ 3d, 3d of the end frame EF1
corresponding to a longitudinal end of each row of the
rack member 4. A cylindrical return pulley 7 i~ rotatably
mounted on the end frame EF2 corre~ponding to the other
end of the rack member 4. The pulley motor 6 ha~ a length
corre~ponding to the lateral width of the apparatu~.
A~ ~hown in Fig. 6, the return pulley 7 i~ mounted
between two pair~ of bearing ~upport plate~ 7-2 engaged with
~crew rod~ 73 which are ~upported on the end frames EF2.
The outer ~crew rod 73 is ~ecured to the po~t~ 3a, 3c and
the inner ~crew rod 73 i~ ~ecured to the po~t~ 3b, 3c,
re~pectively.
The pulley motor 6 i~ provided with a drive motor
(not ~hown) in the cylindrical pulley~ for rotating the
pulley~. The outer periphery of the pulley motor 6 i~
fini~hed by rubber or ~ynthetic re~in corre~ponding to a
pair of ~tripe~ of the belt 8 to form re~pective crowning
~urface~, for preventing the derailment of the belt~ and
preventing the production of noi~e~. The return pulley 7
i~ individually fonmed to corre~pond to each ~tripe of
the belt 8.
The dunging conveyer belt 8 i~ provided around the pulley
motor 6 and the return pulley 7. The belt 8 i~ ~lidably
~upported on the rack member 4 ~o a~ to ~lide on the
slide portion~ 4c, 4c, pipe~ 4e, and projection~ 4d.
A~ ~hown in Fig. 5, ~ince the pulley motor 6 i~
rotated in the counterclockwi~e direction, an upper tight
1 334269
~ide of the belt 8 i~ engaged with the ~lide portion~ 4c, 4c
and the pipe~ 4e, and a ~lack ~ide of the belt 8 i~ engaged
with the projection~ 4d. The belt 8 i~ tensed by ten~ion
pulley~ 61, 62 ~ecured between the ~ide panel~ 3d, 3d of the
end frame EF1 and by a tension pulley 71. Further, in
order to clean the belt 8, a ~craper 9 and a rolling bru~h
10 are mounted between panel~ 3d, 3d corresponding to the
belt, re~pectively. The ~craper 9 i~ provided in front
of the pulley motor 6 and the rolling bru~h 10 i~ provided
under the belt 8 at the po~ition where the belt i~ turned.
Nozzle~ 11 are provided above the ~craper 9 faced to
the front portion of the belt8 engaged with the pulley
motor 6 for cleaning the belt 8. A~ ~hown in Fig. 1, in
the pre~ent embodiment, a pair of nozzle~ 11, 11 are
provided on each ~trip~ of the belt 8 corre~ponding to the
lateral end thereof. However, the number of nozzle~ i~
appropriately ~et in accordance with the width of the belt.
Referring to Fig. 7, an outlet of the nozzle 11 i~
formed in ~uch a manner that a plane N of the projection
20 made by the injection of the li~uid cleaner ha~ an
approximately a rectangular ~hape in plan view. A~ an
example, the nozzle i~ provided with a pair of outlet~
formed adjacent each other. Reference numeral lla in
Fig. 5 de~ignate~ a conduit for ~upplying the cleaner to
each nozzle 11.
Since the projected plane N ha~ a rectangular ~hape,
the cleaner i~ ~pouted to the ~urface of the belt 8 at a
uniform pre~ure with re~pect to the whole width of the
1 33~269
belt. Further, the nozzle 11 i~ po~itioned adjacent to
the portion of the belt 8 engaged with the pulley motor 6,
~o that the plane N of projection corre~pond~ to the width
of the belt. Accordingly, rough cleaning i~ performed at
an inlet side N1 at a uniform pre~ure and fini~hing
cleaning i~ performed at an outlet ~ide N2at a uniform
pre~ure. Thu~, high cleaning effect can be accompli~hed.
The ten~ion pulley 71 i~ provided adjacent the return
pulley 7. The~e pulley~ 7 and 71 of each row of the rack
member 4 are pivotally mounted on the ~upport plate~72.
A~ de~cribed before, each ~upport plate 72 engage~ with
the ~crew rod 73 oriented in the longitudinal direction
of the apparatus. Thu~, the plate 72 is ~lidable by
rotating the ~crew rod 73 oor adju~ting the ten~ion of the
belt 8.
In the pre~ent invention, a~ ~hown in Fig~. 1 and 2,
the apparatu~ compri~e~ the rack member~ 4 each of which
ha~ the cage attaching rail~ 4g provided under the bottom
plate 4a thereof, the cage C receiving ~mall animal~ being
attached to the rail~ 4g at both ~ide~ of the upper portion
of the cage C and ~upported under the rack member in
~u~pended ~tate, in the ~ame manner a~ a conventional
apparatu~.
However, the apparatu~ of the present invention ha~
remarkable advantage~ a~ follow~.
In the pre~ent apparatu~, each po~t i~ ~ecured on the
central portion of the ~tand having a gantrylike - ~hape,
and oppo~ite cantilever~ are provided on the po~t, projected
1 334269
from the po~t in oppo~ite direction~, and the rack member
is detachably mounted on each cantilever. Accordingly,
there are no ob~tacle~ against the ~etting and removal of
the cage, ~uch a~ outer ~ide po~t~ in the conventional
apparatu~.
Since the rack member i~ made of a steel plate by
bending, the manufacturing co~t decrea~e~ compared with
the machining. Further, the joint~ of plate~ made by
welding are not appeared on the ~lide ~urface of the rac~
member for the belt, ~o that the belt efficiently ~lide~
on the ~lide. The sliding efficiency i~ enhanced by
projection~ formed on the bottom plate of the rack member.
since each rack member can be removed from the cantilever,
di~a~sembling and cleaning of the apparatu~ can be ea~ily
done.
Further, the belt travelling on the rack member i~
driven by the pulley motor. Accordingly, there i~ no
nece~ity for providing the motor ~eparately, unlike the
conventional apparatu~. Therefore, the problem of the
20 conventional apparatu~ that the motor i~ protruded from the
upper portion of the apparatu~, which hinder~ providing of
an automatic feeder, i~ dis~olved. Two ~tripe~ of belt
are mounted on each pulley motor, and the ~urface of the
pulley i~ fini~hed by rubber with crowning. Thu~, the
25 belt~ are prevented from deflection and a high ~oundproof
effect i~ provided.
The apparatu~ i~ employed with the nozzle for cleaning
the belt having a rectangular projection pattern when the
-- 10 --
1 334269
cleaner i~ injected from the nozzle. Therefore, dung~
and remain~ of food.~ on the belt are efficiently wa~hed
off at the whole width of the belt.
From the foregoing, it will be under~tood that the
pre~ent invention provide~ a u~eful apparatu~ which ~upport~
cage~ for rai~ing a large number of ~mall animal~.
While the invention ha~ been de~cribed in conjunction
with preferred ~pecific embodiment~ thereof, it will be
under~tood that thi~ de~cription i~ intended to illustrate
and not limit the ~cope of the invention, which i~ defined
by the following claim~. -
